NEW YORK: State Initiative Seeks to Stop Suicides

The New York State Office of Mental Health has announced a statewide plan to integrate suicide prevention into health care systems, coordinate community prevention efforts, and improve suicide surveillance data. Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the initiative is named “1,700 Too Many” in reference to the 1,700 suicide deaths that occurred in the state in 2014. The plan consists of three strategies. The first is to implement a systematic approach to suicide prevention in health care and behavioral health care settings through the adoption of the Zero Suicide model. The second strategy is focused on community-based prevention and aims to “help at-risk individuals foster connections, encouraging them to remain integrated within their communities, throughout their lives," according to a statement from the Office of Mental Health. The final component of the plan is to enhance the use of data to inform suicide prevention efforts, such as improving the quality of data that is collected and its accessibility to researchers.

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center at EDC is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), under Grant No. 5U79SM062297.

The views, opinions, and content expressed in this product do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of CMHS, SAMHSA, or HHS.